"When she came back." A tremor ran through Helen's nerves. Oh, must she come back!
"How is Jenny?" she inquired.
"Oh, Jenny's first rate, working like a beaver. There's a girl worth something, if she is mine! And the house is getting done up just splendid. Joe's crazy to be married right off, but Jenny's like me, when her mind's made up it's made up. There's a good deal of Cummings in her. Why don't you take off your hat? You're going to stay to supper?"
"No, I can't," Helen returned gently. "Mrs. Van Dorn was going to drive round a little——"
"She could have come in," snapped Aunt Jane. "We could have had the horse put out and you could both have stayed to supper. I dare say we have as good things to eat as Mrs. Dayton. She doesn't refuse our butter and eggs nor chickens when we have 'em to spare."
"They all think the butter splendid, Aunt Jane. And Mrs. Disbrowe wishes they could get such eggs in the city. She is sure what they get must be a month old," said Helen, with an attempt at gayety.
"I do make good butter. Mrs. Dayton's folks are not the first to find it out," bridling her head. "And I'll say for Mrs. Dayton she's willing to pay a fair price. But I s'pose that old woman pays well?"
Helen wondered how the woman in the carriage would look if she heard that!
"I'd like to know the prices myself. Haven't you heard Mrs. Dayton say? I might want to keep boarders, some day."
"No," answered Helen. "But there are a good many boarders at North Hope, and some of them look as if they didn't mind about money."